Swakit Biotech Pvt. Ltd.

Basavanagudi, Bangalore, Karnataka

• Foliar spray application of the CHITOGROW gel product is plant growth regulator [PGR] which improves / boosts plant defence mechanism.
• Prevent plant infection from fungal, bacterial & virus-like disease or external attack due to climate change.
• Activate and strengthen plant immune system to improve anti-stress capability, thus to stimulate crops growth
• As a high efficient chitosan-activating gene, it replaces other plant hormones to regulate the process of growth and yield by the end the life cycle.
• It can applied to all horticulture crops, fruits & flowers plants for quality produce and farmer can demand good price for his benefit. It could be easily applied through foliar spray on field to maximize the productivity.

Plant growth promoter (PGP) is classified as natural growth stimulant which is non-toxic and soluble in water that enhances the growth of plants and also has elicitor effect against plant disease. It is improved the overall health growth and development of plants that determine the crop quality and productivity. As a result, increase in yield which benefits farmers and agriculture production including floriculture and horticulture crops. PGP from biological derivative is more effective and safe to be used by end user and no hazardous to consumer. It could be easily applied through foliar spray on field crops, fruits, vegetables and flowers to maximize the productivity.

It is important to take advantage of the unique and positive features of chitin molecules and their derivatives. These include easy extraction from natural resources, biodegradable properties, high functionality, biocompatibility in animal and plant tissues, biodegradability with ecological safety, low toxicity and the changeable molecular structures; all of which make these compounds as versatile tools for applications in various sectors and providing the needed impetus in technology upsurge and product development.

Main features:

• Natural bio-polymer, acts as pesticide / bio- pesticide
• Bio-stimulant for physiological, biochemical actions.

Use Sites: Many field horticultural crops, ornamentals, and turf grown in fields, homegardens, nurseries, and other sites. It acts as plant defence booster & plant growth regulator(enhancer).

Target pests: Helps plant defend against certain fungal diseases, including early and

late blight, downy and powdery mildew, and gray mol.

Application method & its importance:

Spray on leaves throughout growing season, with applications every one week or 10 days. It doesn’t get washed away with rain water. Dilute solution of ChitoGrow Gel [5 ml in 1 litre] when sprayed on plant surface forms a thin film. ChitoGrow gel is known to be non-toxic, biodegradable, biocompatible, and antibacterial. Sprays of chitosan have been found very effective in controlling downy mildew with less number of sprays of other fungicides. Approved by US EPA fact sheet 128930.

Chitogrow gel in 3 – 5 ml/ litre dilution is recommended for foliar spraying on all horticulture crops, fruit and flower crops every 3 – 6 weeks throughout the life cycle.”

A wide range of horticultural crops and flowers including Orchids can be sprayed with ChitoGrow gel to improve growth, quality and post-harvest preservation.

ChitoGrow gel sprayed on bunches for management of powdery mildew in vineyards can be useful for better shelf life of the grapes after harvest. However, additional spray of chitosan especially on table grape bunches few days before harvest is more effective in improving shelf-life of bunches.

ChitoGrow gel coated grapes will have added advantages -reduce respiration and loss of water from barriers and also increase total phenols in grapes. Thus it protests grapes both desiccation and disease. ChitoGrwo gel coated grapes keep its firmness longer giving better appearance of the bunch. Due to antibacterial property of ChitoGrow gel it also reduces rotting by direct action. It acts in similar manner when sprayed on strawberries, bananas, pomegranate, oranges, lemons, tomato, capsicum and many types of vegetables.

Recommendation:

Chitogrow gel in 3 – 5 ml/ litre dilution is recommended for foliar spraying on all horticulture crops, fruit and flower crops every 3 – 6 weeks throughout the life cycle.

• For safe long storage of grains, pulses, oil seeds.
• Bags are made of coated cotton fabric & laminated with woven PP or jute layer.
• Eco friendly & reusable
• Standard sizes with 25 & 50 kgs capacities.
• Jute laminated bags meet "ECOPACK" regulation & compost-able.

“ECO SMART bags” manufacturing process technology is developed and patented for long term storage & shelf life enhancement of grains, pulses & oil seeds. Food security to any country in the world is important. Wastage of such vital and expensive food commodities can be criminal after much of efforts taken by farmers during cultivation along with input cost & efforts. Presence of moisture in the product and warehouses ambient air is the main cause of spoilage of these commodities along with moderate ambient temperatures. Microbes / pathogen grow easily under such favourable conditions and propagation / multiplication occur over a period time. This spreads across to entire stored material & food becomes unfit for human consumption.

ECO smart bag’s cotton fabric is porous and air permeable, so that oxygen / CO2 gases can be exchanged. The coated layer of biopolymer has inheriting swelling property by attracting micro level water molecules & due to moderate ambient temperatures, moisture evaporates due convective action in the atmosphere. Thereby entire packed material is free from moisture and hence microbes / pathogen growth possibility is greatly reduced. The food commodity remains safe for long time thereby economic and material loss is prevented.

Engineering structural enclosure / cubical can be made for large quantities of grains to be kept under enclosures with coated fabric to accommodate say 9 MT material. Such smaller cubical can be made with-in large ware houses. Life of these enclosures can last long unless torn / damaged by mishandling by operators. Required quantities of grains can removed for distribution.

Storage and stability of variety of grains, pulses oil seeds is crucial for long storage. All these are vital for food safety & security. Fat & proteins contents in such in agro commodities gets directly affected due to presence of moisture in vicinity or inside the packing bag or surrounding area. Moisture can affect most of packed material over period time – may be 2 -12 months or during export consignment during long transit time. Packed material can get spoiled due microbes in challenging ambient conditions of high humidity + temperature at ware house or high seas. The product then becomes unacceptable for selling or unfit for intended application. Economic losses to the company as well to the chain of dealers / retailers / exporter suffer major credibility issue.

Technical Features:

• Coated layers in both the cases are inseparable or cannot be delaminated. 
• The layer acts exactly the same way as that of silica powder filled pouch. 
• Coated layer covers entire inner surface of the carton box or cotton bag.
• Presence of moisture at any given point will be absorbed by the coated layer. 
• Coated layer has broad antibacterial properties and hence material can stay fit for its intended usage / application.
• Coated material is environmentally friendly & completely bio-degradable.
• Cotton fabric coated bags are reusable many times. Bags are also biodegradable.
• Manufacturers can even store inventory of goods inside these bags to keep it moisture free right from finishing stage till its final packaging and meet high quality standard. 

Disadvantages of silica pouch:

• Silica powder filled pouch on the other hand can only be effective near to its surrounding. 
• It doesn’t capture moisture present away from it, unless more nos. Of pouches are kept. It can be an expensive proposition.

Moisture free storage of grains, pulses and full export container

Storage and stability of variety of grains, pulses oil seeds is crucial for long storage. All these are vital for food safety & security. Fat & proteins contents in such in agro commodities gets directly affected due to presence of moisture in vicinity or inside the packing bag or surrounding area. Moisture can affect most of packed material over period time – may be 2 -12 months or during export consignment during long transit time. Packed material can get spoiled due microbes in challenging ambient conditions of high humidity + temperature at ware house or high seas. The product then becomes unacceptable for selling or unfit for intended application. Economic losses to the company as well to the chain of dealers / retailers / exporter suffer major credibility issue.

Novel technological solution has been developed to keep such material completely free from moisture. Effects of temperature and relative humidity are often comparable and interrelated because the capacity of air to hold moisture varies with the temperature. Aeration in the storage containers or in stores has its bearing on RH and hence indirectly on disease development. There are two options to packing the desired material:

• Storage inside organic ECO smart bags & stacking them on pallets. [25 / 50 kgs bags].
• Coated cotton fabric covering inside a cubical say 3 CM³ or 105 cu ft. For storage of 9 pallets = 9 MT material.
• Desiccant filled bags are lined vertically inside the export container and such bags will act as moisture absorber material packed inside.

Price Details:

• Price for 2 Kg- Rs.40/Piece
• Price for 5 kg- Rs.52/Piece
• Price for 10 kg-Rs.65/Piece
• Price for 25 kg- Rs.85/Piece
• Price for 50 kg– Rs.140/Piece

Nature-safe helps to improve the shelf life of fresh fruits and vegetables.

• Post-harvest loss of fresh produces is a serious problem due to rapid deterioration during pre & post-harvest conditions. It is affecting the quality of fruits & vegetables.
• These commodities in tropical or warm region along with high humidity have short life time after harvesting and farmers suffer economic losses due to fungal / bacterial infection.
• The application of edible coatings on fruits & vegetables is an effective method to improve their quality &thus, increase shelf-life. It can be safely eaten as a part of food
• For industrial or large scale fruits or leafy vegetables processing units NatureSafe helps to improve quality and shelf life till they are sold in reasonable time [<15 days], hence rejection rate is reduced considerably.
• Simple dip coating process can be used, with engineering solutions for high volume productivity. Or contract processing services to farmers may be done who don’t wish to invest in plant equipment on cooperative basis.
• Coated fruits and vegetables can be store for longer time in refrigerator up to 3 weeks.
• Vacuum packed fruits & vegetables can stored for months.

NatureSafe is the second product developed as a shelf life enhancer for the fresh fruits and vegetable. These commodities in tropical or warm regions along with high humidity have short life time after harvesting and farmers suffer economic losses due to fungal/bacterial infection. In case fruits or leafy vegetable processing units NatureSafe helps to improve quality and shelf life till they are sold in reasonable time [<15 days], hence rejection rate is reduced considerably.

Nature-Safe is recognized for meeting the industry’s highest standards for quality, performance, consistency, and functionality. Our exceptional Research & Development team is continually working to solve industry problems with the introduction of new products. Our knowledgeable team can reformulate or develop new formulations to meet customer needs and standards, guaranteeing satisfaction

Fruits and vegetables are highly perishable commodity. Due to inadequate facility, challenging ambient conditions , they decay soon and become unfit for human consumption. These losses are enormous & leading to distress by farmers & distributers. For many years due to lack of proper facility especially, postharvest management farm produce are wasted. It is becoming apparently important to provide a simple but effective alternative to such issues.

Nature Safe Gel is recommended effectively extend the storage and shelf -life of whole fruits and vegetables

Salient Features

• Long Storage: In long term storage of some fruits. 2 – 3 weeks storage at room temperature and > 2 months at 4°C.
• Hydrated: Fruits & vegetables are kept all time hydrated. They remain fresh until used.
• Coating further improves disease severity
• Vacuum packed fruits & vegetables can remain fresh for long time at low temperature.
• NatureSafe GEL should be kept at low temperature as soon it is received.
• Shelf life of Nature Safe gel is maximum 3 months

Proposed process for short term storage

Small scale operations:

• Washing fruits/ vegetables in water. Wipe dry.
• Make 2% dilution in potable water [20 gm / litre] & stir well. It will disperse easily in water.
• Place fruits / vegetables in a perforated plastic / steel container & lower in the above solution
• Soaking in NatureSafe GEL for 20 minutes. Air / manual agitation of solution is recommended for uniform coating on the fruits / vegetable.
• Lift out the perforated container out of the solution and hold for draining out excess liquid.
• Spread the fruits / vegetable over cotton sheet / trays / floor for natural drying or under fan.
• In about 30 minutes all surface of fruits / vegetable will dry out.
• Grade the fruits / vegetable by size / weight and pack them as per desired.

Industrial scale process

• One can design automated processes for loading /uplifting the perforated SS basket.
• Final drying may be done in heated tunnel or with air curtain.
• Dried fruits & vegetables can be packed on-line at the end of tunnel.
• Suitably weighed / graded fruits / vegetable may be packed suitably.
• Vacuum packing would be preferred for long term / export application & kept in cold storage.